


Wanderlust

by Sasusquatch



Category: Haikyuu!!, technically Fallout but I don't rly wanna tag it as such
Genre: Fallout AU, M/M, Multi, Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-09-15 01:57:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9214016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasusquatch/pseuds/Sasusquatch
Summary: The year is 2288, over 200 years after the Great War that destroyed life as humanity knew it.  Hinata Shouyou is a vault dweller living in Vault 25, and he's desperate to leave and see what lies outside, despite the fact that the Overseer hardly ever lets people leave.Meanwhile, in the remnants of Peterson Air Force Base, the Brotherhood of Steel starts preparing to launch the biggest mission they've ever come up with in the Rocky Mountains.Basically, this is a Haikyuu Fallout AU!  It will definitely help to have some knowledge of the Fallout universe if you want to read this, but I won't really be involving any canon characters from the games.  There will be a couple of Fallout Canon (semi-canon??) divergences.





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I've been playing a ton of Fallout 4 recently, and I got the inspiration to write this fic. I'm having a lot of fu writing this so far, so I hope you all like it as much as I do! Please enjoy :)

_“Hey, Yachi.”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Do you ever think about what life outside the vault is like?”_

_“The Overseer says that it’s really bad out there… it’s not safe.  But… I guess I am a little bit curious.”_

_“I really wanna go outside and see what the rest of the world is like.”_

_“The Overseer won’t let you… I don’t think it’s possible for us to get out just because we’re interested.”_

_“Just wait, one day I’ll get out and go exploring, just you wait!”_

***

            Hinata Shouyou trudged through the dimly-lit hallways of Vault 25, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.  It was still early, and though he didn’t typically mind mornings, he wasn’t particularly thrilled to be up and about today.  It was January 1st, which meant that it was the day that the annual patrol left the vault to secure supplies to last the populace within another year.  Everyone knew that Vault 25 was meant to have opened up and let them all out _forever_ ago, but none of their Overseers, past or present, had thought it a good idea.  So instead, after their supplies began to run low, a group of brave “soldiers” would go out, grab whatever they needed, and come back within a few days.  Thus ensuring that nobody else ever had to venture out into the harsh world on the surface.  Most of the residents seemed perfectly fine with this arrangement, but not Hinata.  More than anything else he wanted to go out there and see for himself what the world was like.  Descriptions from those who had left and the occasional picture just weren’t enough for him.

            Last year he had finally turned 18, meaning that he had been old enough to apply for a spot on the yearly patrol.  His hopes had been so high, and he’d done his best to make it seem like he was more than up to the task.  But alas, the Overseer hadn’t even spared him a second glance.  So now here he was, the day that he’d always looked forward to for years and years, heading to the cafeteria to grab something to eat before he jealously watched the patrol head out in an hour’s time.

            “Good morning, Hinata!”

            The young man looked up from where his eyes had fixed on the floor and spotted Yachi, waving at him from an otherwise empty table on the far side of the room.  The cafeteria was bustling this morning, filled with people groggily awaiting the patrol to set out so they could say their goodbyes.  Hinata waved back to his friend before heading towards the buffet and grabbing a sweetroll.  After he grabbed the pastry he made his way over to Yachi, mood perking up considerably since he now had someone to talk to about his woes.  “’morning, Yachi,” he greeted.

            “Good morning, Hinata!  Did you sleep alright?”

            “Eh, kinda.”  Hinata took a bite of his sweetroll.  “It took me awhile to fall asleep since I was still angry.”

            “Aw, I’m sorry,” Yachi said sympathetically.  “But there’s always next year!  If you’re determined I’m sure you’ll make it onto the patrol one day, just be patient.”

            “I’ve been patient my whole life!  I’m old enough now, the Overseer should let me go outside.”  Hinata pouted and put his breakfast on the table, too irritated to continue eating.  “You know there’s nobody in this vault who wants to go outside more than I do.”

            “It’s not a matter of how much you want to go, it’s a matter of whether or not you’re capable of surviving out there.”

            “Do you not think I’m strong enough to survive in the outside world for a couple of days?”  Hinata’s tone was accusatory, eyes hard as he stared down his long-time friend.

            “You know that’s not what I meant-“

            Hinata sighed and shut his eyes.  “Yeah, I know.”  He brought up his right hand and ran it through his bright orange hair in an attempt to calm himself down.  “It’s fine.  I think I’m just… gonna go wait by the entrance.  Might as well get a good spot so I can at least see what’s outside the door.”  With that he stood up and strode out of the room, leaving the half-finished roll behind.  Yachi watched him go, a sad expression on her face.

            ***

            “What d’ya mean it’s not working right?”

            “I mean exactly what I said: the vault door isn’t working like it’s supposed to.”

            Hinata rounded the corner and walked into the entry hall, where he was faced with the massive door of Vault 25.  Most of the room had been blocked off by ropes, marking the spots where the onlookers should stand to send-off the patrol.  In the side room, where all the technical stuff and the door switch was located, two technicians were talking to one another.

            “What part of it isn’t working?”

            “My Pipboy is telling me that the door won’t open.”

            Hinata’s interest piqued as he listened in, and he crept slightly closer to hear better.

            “Maybe your Pipboy’s malfunctioning?”

            “I dunno, maybe?”

            “Well did you _try_ opening the door?”

            “Of course not, we’re not supposed to open it until the Overseer tells us to.”

            “Well we’ve got about an hour until we need to get this show on the road, so maybe we should break the rule this time just to make sure it can actually open when we need it to.”

            As the conversation continued Hinata’s heartbeat sped up.  A sliver of an idea was forming in his mind.  Maybe, just maybe, if these technicians opened the door before anybody else was around, he could get outside.  It would just be for a little bit, until the patrol left, then he’d go back inside and face whatever punishment was thrown at him.  No matter what it was, it’d be worth it for just half an hour of freedom.

            “…yeah alright, let’s try it.  I’m sure the Overseer will understand.”

            Hinata’s heart leapt to his throat, and without a second thought he quietly made his way over to the enormous door.  He knew he’d have to stand somewhere off to the side so not to be seen by the technicians, but he’d also have to be close enough to make a break for it as soon as the door was open.  Of course, there was always the chance that the door really _was_ broken, and that nobody would be leaving the vault today.  But in that case he wouldn’t have technically broken any rules, and he could go about his business as usual.

            It was harder to hear the technicians from his new hiding spot, but he could still make out the occasional swear, followed by a beeping noise or the sound of metal clanking against something.  Then finally, _finally_ , after several long minutes, the door began to open.  Hinata watched in awe as the door rolled out of the way, slowly but surely.  A walkway then extended outwards to meet the one already in place in the vault.  Distantly, he heard cheers from the technicians, and he knew his time to escape was limited.  Quickly and quietly he made his way across the walkway, keeping as low to the ground as possible, and desperately hoping that he wouldn’t be spotted.  It seemed that luck was mostly in his favor that day, because he never heard anyone yelling at him to stop.

            He had just made it safely to the other side of the door when he heard the alarms going off to let everyone know that the door was closing once again.  Hinata breathed a sigh of relief once the entryway was sealed behind him.  His little scheme had worked.

            Now that he knew he was successful his excitement and nervous energy bubbled to the forefront of his mind, and he looked ahead of him.  For several hundred feet there was a path carved out of stone, sloping gently upwards.  It was a little rough, but had worn down enough in some places to indicate that it certainly wasn’t completely disused.  At the far end of the tunnel Hinata could see a pinprick of light.  The surface was within his reach.  An excited giggle tore from his lips, and he ran forward, not even noticing the fact that his legs suddenly seemed lighter.

            His feet carried him to the end of the tunnel in a matter of moments, and Hinata had to squint as his eyes were forced to adjust to the influx of light.  The vault’s lights had nothing on real sunlight.  He stopped just before the mouth of the tunnel, hand coming up to shield his vision just a tad.  His body quivered from excitement and exertion. 

            “…alright, here we go,” he murmured to no-one in particular.  Hinata took a deep breath and stepped into the early morning sunlight.

            It took a moment for his eyes to completely adjust, but once they did, Hinata was in awe.  All around him were mountain peaks, and directly ahead of him was a winding road that steadily snaked downwards.  A forest comprised of both living and long dead pine trees stretched as far as his eyes could see on both sides.  The view from the tunnel exit was incredible, to say the least.

            And before Hinata even had a chance to second-guess himself, the words came tumbling out of his mouth.

            “I’m never going back.”


	2. A Mercenary and a Dweller

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Petition for Bethesda to use Colorado as a location in a future Fallout game, pls. There's a shit-ton of military stuff here. Also I'm officially ignoring how Cheyenne Mountain was used in Fallout Tactics. I live here, my fic, I MAKE THE RULES.
> 
> Enjoy~

            Hinata took in his surroundings for several long minutes, during which everything he’d ever learned about his home raced through his mind.  According to his teacher, and their ancient history books, Vault 25 had been modified out of an already existing nuclear bunker located within Cheyenne Mountain, in the state that had once been called Colorado.  Now that nuclear war had destroyed just about everything, it was uncertain what people called _anything_ anymore. 

            The town nearest to him (or the remains of a town) had been called Colorado Springs, and that was where the vault residents had been meant to head after it had finally been deemed safe to return to the surface by the Overseer.  And apparently, that was where most of the patrols headed when they went to get supplies.  That meant that there had to be _somebody_ living there, maybe even a lot of somebodies.  But it was supposed to be quite a hike to get there from the vault, which is why it typically took the patrols about a week to get there, get supplies, and come back.

            Hinata wondered how long it would take him if he ran most of the way.

            By now his eyes had finished adjusting to the bright light, and he was able to see everything around him clearer than he had before.  The forest really did stretch as far as he could see, and not only that, but there was a layer of snow covering everything.  He’d only heard about snow in books, he never imagined that he’d have the chance to see it in real life.  Without thinking he reached down and gently brushed against the snow that lie in front of him, pulling back quickly when he realized how cold it was.  After pulling back he also realized that his entire _body_ was starting to get chilly.  His breath was curling like smoke in front of him every time he exhaled, something he’d only ever seen happen when he went into the refrigerated section in the cafeteria. 

            Yes, he was cold, but more than anything, he was thrilled to be able to experience this new world.

            _You won’t be out here long if you don’t get moving.  The patrol will find you when they come out._

            Hinata shook himself as he remembered that he still only had a short amount of time to make himself scarce, especially considering that his destination was the same as those in the patrol.  If he truly didn’t want to go back to the vault, he needed to get moving, and he needed to get moving now.  The young man took one last look behind him, weighing his options.  If he stayed and went back in after the door opened there was little chance he’d ever get to go back outside.  The Overseer would no doubt be furious, and he’d probably be banned from ever applying to the patrol again.  However, if he ran and stayed on the surface, it was doubtful that he’d ever be able to go back to the life he had known until now.  He may never see Yachi again, his family would be worried sick…

            Thinking about his family and friends made him a little more unsure.  He cared about all of them deeply, and he’d miss them dearly.  But then again, maybe if he came back in a year or two, he’d be allowed to rejoin the vault?  Certainly the Overseer wasn’t so cruel that Hinata would be banned from ever setting foot in his home again?  He took another moment to mull over the pros and cons of each choice.  Finally, he turned around again and started to make his way down the winding road.

            “Goodbye, everyone.  I’ll miss you.”

            ***

             The woods were quiet, almost too quiet.  Kageyama held his gun at the ready, fingers twitching and ready to move to the trigger at the first sign of danger.  He hadn’t gotten this far as a mercenary by being complacent.

            He paused as he took in his surroundings.  The young man hadn’t been in the forest for very long, and he hadn’t gotten very deep as of yet.  Hopefully he wouldn’t need to either, he shouldn’t be far from the Springs at this point, where his target was.  All he needed to do was get there, take out the man like he’d been asked, then head back to Denver to collect his caps.  His client this time around seemed to be fairly wealthy, though he hadn’t revealed much about himself when they met to discuss terms.  But 5000 caps for a single hit was more than fair to Kageyama, and he intended to get his job done no matter what, mutant creatures in the woods be damned.

            Several minutes passed uneventfully, and Kageyama decided that if something dangerous was nearby, it at least didn’t have any plans to attack him right this moment.  He relaxed just a tad and moved his fingers further away from the trigger of his trusty sniper rifle.  He didn’t feel safe enough to put the gun away entirely just yet.  After he got his bearings once again with his compass he continued onward, feet crunching quietly through the snowpack.

            ***

            Nope, he definitely wasn’t imagining it.  Running up on the surface was easier than it had been while he was underground. 

            Hinata had noticed the difference after he began to head down the road.  He felt lighter than he ever had, and he doubted that it was the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, though that was possibly playing a factor in it as well.  No, mere adrenaline couldn’t make him feel like he could run forever, even with the chemical he’d surely start to get tired after awhile.  And yet here he was, half an hour later, only just starting to feel out of breath.  His legs were a little tired, but nowhere _near_ as tired as they should be at this point.  Was it something about being on the surface that made moving around easier?

            Hinata stopped briefly to catch his breath and ponder the question.  He didn’t seem to recall anybody on previous patrols mentioning a feeling of lightness, but perhaps they just hadn’t noticed it?  Or maybe they simply thought it wasn’t all that important?  Either way, he didn’t have anything to go on in terms of figuring out this mystery.  Besides, he had more important things to be doing right now, like putting as much distance between himself and the patrol as he could.  It probably wouldn’t be much longer until they began their ascent out of the vault themselves.  So as soon as he caught his breath Hinata continued to run along the snaking road, attention completely focused on keeping his footing on the occasionally slippery ground.  It was easier to run on the side of the road, rather than directly on it, as he had discovered after faceplanting early on in his descent.  The old, cracked asphalt didn’t give him much traction, but the dirt and rocks that ran along the side gave him much better footing.

            He kept up the pace for another half hour before tiring again, and this time he felt himself wishing that he had at least finished his sweetroll at breakfast instead of leaving it half-finished on the table.  Poor Yachi had probably been the one to clean it up, too.  Hinata thought sadly about his unfinished meal while he rested his hands on his knees, completely oblivious to the danger that lurked just at the edge of his vision.  It wasn’t until he heard a primal screech, one that practically made his blood freeze solid, that he realized he hadn’t been as careful as he should have.  Hinata whipped around to face the sound and watched in horror as a massive, furless cat bounded its way over the snow directly towards him.  He sucked in a breath, fear gripping every single one of his thoughts, and just as he was about to scream-

            _* **CRACK***_

            The beast crumpled to the ground, blood slowly blossoming on its forehead.  Hinata could only stare, mouth agape and mind racing as he tried to understand what had just happened.

            “You dumbass, did you think that Fallion wouldn’t see you if you just stayed still?”

            Hinata spun to face whoever had spoken to him, and his eyes met a pair of dark blue ones.


	3. Unlikely Detectives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the support so far, everyone! I'm glad there are other people out there who also wanna see characters from a volleyball anime in a post-apocalyptic hell world LOL.
> 
> I'm not entirely thrilled with how this chapter came out, but I needed to introduce the local idiot duo sooner rather than later, so there's a lot of dialogue in this chapter. Chapter 4 is all ready to go as well, and I might upload it later today, depending on how much writing I get done. If not, it will definitely be uploaded tomorrow morning! I'm gonna try to update fairly frequently for the next week or so, since I'll be on winter break until the 17th. Please enjoy! ^^

It took Hinata a moment to gather himself.  “…a what now?  And who are you calling a dumbass?” 

            Kageyama gave the shorter male a quick look-over, taking note of his vault suit almost immediately.  Finally he responded the one of the questions asked of him.  “A Fallion, or a Fall Lion.”

            Hinata responded with a blank look, before understanding dawned across his features.  “Oh!  You mean that thing that was running at me?”

            “Yes, you idiot.  That thing that almost killed you.”

            “Stop calling me names!  Don’t you know how rude it is to be mean to people you’ve only just met?”

            “I can’t say that I care.”  Kageyama walked past Hinata and over to the Fallion’s body, giving it a quick poke to ensure that it was dead.  Satisfied that the beast wasn’t going to get up again, Kageyama turned to face Hinata again.  The shorter of the two had his arms crossed over his chest, cheeks puffed out in irritation.  “Are you from a vault?” the mercenary finally asked.

            “Huh?  Oh, yeah, I am.”  Hinata relaxed slightly, relieved that the stranger hadn’t called him another mean name.  “This is my first time outside, actually.”

            “That explains it.”

            “Explains what?”

            “Why you’re such an idiot, obviously.”

            “I’m not an idiot!” Hinata fumed.  “And I have a name, thank you very much!  I’m Hinata Shouyou.”

            “I still don’t care,” Kageyama replied, turning to head down the road.  “Goodbye.”

            Hinata watched angrily as the mercenary began walking away.  Of course, it looked like they were heading in the same direction, so they’d probably be stuck traveling together for the time being.  Unless of course Hinata picked up his pace once again, though he was starting to feel worn out from the lack of food and the adrenaline beginning to leave his system.  And besides… that annoying guy had a gun.  Even if he was rude and mean, he had a means of protection from other scary things that they might happen upon.  Maybe sticking close to him would be worth it.

            “It’s not goodbye if we’re heading in the same direction, jerk!” Hinata called as he jogged to catch up. 

            Kageyama groaned as the vault dweller returned and started walking at his side.  “Just because we’re walking the same way doesn’t mean we have to be right next to each other.  Move somewhere else.”

            “Yeah about that-,“ Hinata started out sheepishly, “I figured it’s safer to stay close to you, since you have a gun.” 

            “Are you telling me you don’t have a gun?”

            “…yup.”

            Kageyama resisted the urge to pull his hair out.  Not only had he run into a sheltered little vault dweller, but this vault dweller hadn’t even brought a _gun_ with him.  It was unlikely that he had anything to defend himself with at all.  How had he ended up stuck in this situation?

            “So uh… I think I’m just gonna stay right here until we head in different directions.”  Hinata attempted a little grin, but was only met with Kageyama’s exasperated face.  “Um… that is, if that’s okay with you…?”

            “Kageyama.”

            “Kageyama!  So, do you mind?”

            “…Fine.  But don’t do anything that would slow me down, got it?”  Kageyama couldn’t believe he was doing this.  He owed nothing to this guy.  If anything, Hinata owed _him_ , for saving his sorry ass from one of the most dangerous predators in the Rockies.  But at the same time, Kageyama couldn’t really find it in himself to leave someone so clearly defenseless on his own.  He might kill people for a living, but that didn’t mean he was heartless.

            “Thanks!  I promise I’ll do my best to keep up, even though I’ve barely eaten anything today.”

            Kageyama groaned again.  It was going to be a very long walk.

            ***

            “No new cases today either, Kuroo?”

            “Nope, not a single one.”

            “That’s because you guys suck.”

            Bokuto, Kuroo, and Kenma were lounging around the ramshackle building that passed as the former two’s detective agency.  An ancient couch sat against the left wall, which Kuroo promptly flopped on upon entering the building, a bored look on his face.  Bokuto sat at the desk in the center of the room, absent-mindedly doodling on a scrap piece of paper.  Kenma sat on the floor next to the couch, fingers working the controls to his Pipboy as he played a game.  The two older boys had asked Kenma numerous times where he’d managed to find a Pipboy since he hadn’t come from a vault, but Kenma’s answer was always just a shrug.

            “Those old detective shows on the radio always made detective work sound like fun, but we’ve hardly done anything since we’ve started,” Bokuto complained.  “I’m sure there’s plenty of mysteries around here that need to be solved, so why won’t people hire us?”

            “Probably because the first time someone asked you to find something they’d lost it ended up at the bottom of a lake,” Kenma said in monotone, eyes never leaving his Pipboy screen. 

Kuroo snorted out a laugh.  “He has a point, Bo.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault that necklace was so small and hard to hold onto!  Besides, that thief was really determined.”

“Tell that to our pissy client.”

“I _did_.”

“Ah yes, and I remember how thrilled she was.”  Kuroo leaned back and shut his eyes.  “She was so thrilled, she went and told all her friends that our agency is a sham and that the two of us are, I quote, ‘incompetent nincompoops.’”

“You didn’t have to remind me of that, you know.”

“You were the one wondering why nobody’s hired us for anything in weeks.”

Kenma made an annoyed sound and his eyebrows knitted together as he focused on the Pipboy screen, hands moving this way and that as he dealt with a particularly hard level of his game.  The other two naturally went silent at the sudden display of annoyance and focused their gazes on their friend.  Several long moments passed before the youngest boy breathed a sigh of relief, indicating that Bokuto and Kuroo could resume their discussion.

“Anyway,” Kuroo started, “Maybe we just need to look harder for work.  Maybe we can put up posters further away than we usually do.”

“If we go out any further we might run into raiders or super mutants,” Bokuto countered, eyes drifting up towards the ceiling as he thought.  “Not to mention feral ghouls have started moving into that old Super-Duper Mart.”

“Well if we wanna be able to feed ourselves for the foreseeable future, we gotta do _something_.  Unless maybe you think we should call it quits and find other jobs?”

“Ugh, no, I don’t wanna go back to bartending,” Bokuto said.  “Too many fights that needed breaking up, not to mention that one guy who came in high as a kite all the time.”

“Who, Tendou?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“That guy always _was_ a little weird, even when sober.”  Kuroo glanced over to check on Kenma again and was satisfied to see that he was still doing well on his game.  He flicked his eyes back up to meet Bokuto’s.  “That really only leaves us with one option then, doesn’t it?  We gotta spread the word further out than we have been.”

“Ugh,” Bokuto groaned.  “Yeah, fine.  Just gimme a day or two to make some more posters.”


	4. Informant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter for today!
> 
> I don't think I really have anything else to say, other than that I have mixed feelings about the Institute. And that. Fallout 4 is really long and I keep getting distracted. Also I miss New Vegas a lot.
> 
> Enjoy!

The walk to Colorado Springs was long, and by the time the two boys had made it to the outskirts, they were exhausted; not only from one another’s company, but from the constant travel.  The duo had managed to get along during the trip, but both were relieved when they realized that they’d be able to part ways soon.

            Kageyama peered around the area, eyes struggling to make out objects in the low-light of dusk.  His gut told him that there wasn’t anything nearby to be afraid of, and that is was probably safe to proceed to the larger settlement about a mile away.  They were almost there.

            “Hey, Kageyama, how much further?  I’m getting really hungry…” As if on cue, Hinata’s stomach gurgled, and he grimaced.

            “Not far,” Kageyama replied, already beginning to head forward again.  “Though I don’t know how you’re expecting to get food when you don’t have any money with you.”

            Hinata’s shoulders slumped, mood plummeting as soon as the words were out of his companion’s mouth.  “…I hadn’t thought about that.”

            Kageyama snorted.  “It doesn’t seem like you think about much of anything.”

            “Hey!  That’s not true!  Besides, you looked pretty stupid earlier when you almost walked straight through that creek.  It’s like there wasn’t anything on your mind other than getting to the city.”

            “…that’s beside the point.”

            “No, it’s not!”

            The bickering continued as they made their way through the abandoned wreckages of houses, public buildings, and parks.  Finally, they saw the edge of the main Springs settlement, marked by the soft glow of lights and a handful of guards patrolling around the ramshackle wall that enclosed the city.  The city itself was nowhere near as large as the original had been, but it was sizeable enough.  Guards were constantly patrolling in order to keep feral ghouls, super mutants, raiders, and other undesirables out.  There was also the risk of the Brotherhood of Steel making an attempt to take over the settlement, especially since Peterson Air Force Base was only about 15 miles away.

            Hinata went quiet as he took in the approaching city.  He’d never seen anything like it before, not even in the old history books.  The cities he’d learned about in school were massive, high tech, and beautiful.  The Springs had an entirely different feel to it, but it was nonetheless impressive.  Kageyama watched his companion take in the city wordlessly.  This wasn’t the mercenary’s first time to the Springs, so he wasn’t surprised by what he saw.  However, it had been interesting to watch the vault dweller’s reactions to things he’d been exposed to since birth.  This encounter was no exception.

            The two approached the main entrance, where a couple of guards checked to make sure they were safe before they were allowed to enter.  When they finally were allowed to enter the city, Kageyama turned to Hinata.  “Alright, you’re here safe and sound.  Now get lost.”

            Hinata pouted, but had no intention to argue.  “You don’t have to be so mean, I thought we were starting to get along.”  Kageyama raised an eyebrow at that, but Hinata continued.  “Well in any case, thanks for putting up with me.”

            “…you’re welcome.”

            “See ya then, I guess.”  Hinata waved awkwardly as he set off in a random direction.  He had no idea where he was going, but surely he’d be able to find _someone_ who was willing to give him something to eat and drink.  Maybe he’d even be able to find a place to spend the night.

            Kageyama, on the other hand, knew exactly where he needed to head next.  He thanked his lucky stars that Hinata headed in the opposite direction of where he needed to go and set off.  He wasn’t exactly thrilled about the person he’d have to deal with next, but at this point anybody was better than that clueless vault dweller.  Though he had to admit, it wasn’t so bad having company while he traveled for a change.  He made his way to an out of the way bar near the wall of the city.  Kageyama hadn’t exactly set up an appointment with the informant he was looking for, but he knew that in all likelihood the guy would be hanging out at one of the seedier locations in town.  Informants weren’t typically known for spending time in family-friendly establishments, and this one was no exception.

            The mercenary pushed open the door to the bar, which had no name but was built out of an old passenger jet body.  Most of the old seats were in the building, but they had been taken apart and moved around to create more space.  A long bar was against the far wall, and it was the first thing you saw upon entering.  Kageyama looked around the room, and his eyes eventually fell upon a familiar head of brown hair.  The informant he was looking for was seated at the bar, probably listening in for any bits of information he could sell later.  Another quick glance showed him that the informant’s bodyguard was standing in one corner of the room.  He was in luck, he’d only had to visit one bar in his search.  Kageyama walked up to the informant and gave him a tap on the shoulder.  The man turned around and smiled upon seeing the mercenary.

            “Ah, Tobio!  It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?  Is business going well?”

            Kageyama grimaced at the too-cheery voice, but pressed on.  “Business is fine, Oikawa.”

            “Good, good!  Now, I imagine you’re not just here for a friendly chat, hmm?”  The informant’s eyelids lowered just a tad, and a knowing grin formed on his lips. 

            “I need some information on a target.”

            “Mmm, alright then, I’ll see what I can do.  Shall we move to a table with a little more privacy?”  Oikawa stood up as he finished his sentence and nodded his head towards Iwaizumi, his bodyguard, as an indication to follow them to their new seat.  Iwaizumi returned the nod and got up from where he’d been leaning against the wall, glancing over Kageyama as he did so.  Oikawa led the way to an empty table in the corner of the bar, eyes scanning the room to ensure that nobody seemed to be interested in listening in on the conversation that was about to happen.  Luckily the people living in the Springs usually minded their own business, but one could never be too careful.  Finally the two had seated themselves, and Iwaizumi was standing in front of the table, giving the evil eye to anybody who wandered too close. 

            “Now, who’s the unlucky person you’re looking for, Tobio?” Oikawa asked, a smile still playing at his features.

            “His name is Kenma Kozume,” Kageyama replied.  “I just need to know where I can find him.”

            “Hmm… that’s a name I haven’t heard around town that often.  He’s still pretty new here, I think.”  Oikawa sat back and shut his eyes, mulling over whatever information he had in his memory.  “Apparently he just showed up one day, nobody knows much about him.”

            “Can you tell me where he is or not?” Kageyama demanded.

            “Of course I can, Tobio.  What kind of an informant do you take me for?”  Oikawa opened his eyes again.  “There’s just a small matter of payment.”

            The mercenary snorted.  “Fine, how much?”

            “Mmmm… how does 50 caps sound?  The information you want isn’t anything special, but I think it’s fair, considering there aren’t many people who know about this Kenma guy around here.”

            Kageyama pulled out a pouch, counted the currency inside, and wordlessly forked over the caps.  The informant did a quick check to make sure they were all there then put the pouch away, satisfied.  Kageyama waited, an expectant look on his face. 

            “It seems like he’s staying with a couple of local idiots, claiming to be detectives,” Oikawa began leisurely.  “The Cat and Owl Detective Agency is what they’re calling themselves.  The place isn’t too far from here, actually.  It’s near the library.  They put up a bunch of posters around town too, you can’t miss it.”

            “Thanks,” Kageyama said with a nod.  He stood up without another word and turned towards the door, but paused as Oikawa called for him to wait.

            “Tobio, do you mind if I ask why someone asked you to kill this guy?  He hardly seems dangerous, he’s not even particularly interesting.”  There was a curious look in the informant’s eyes.  That was one thing all information brokers had in common: they were all too curious for their own good.  However, Kageyama didn’t mind sharing the details of his job, considering his target would be dead before dawn, anyway.

            “He’s a synth, and my client can’t stand synths.”  Kageyama nodded once more and walked out of the bar, a look of determination settling on his face. 


	5. A Place to Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably just this one chapter for today, ya'll, my dad is insisting my sister and I spend some time with him. Hopefully I'll be posting two more tomorrow though!

It felt as if his stomach was eating itself.

            Hinata wandered around the Springs settlement aimlessly, occasionally poking his head into a building out of curiosity.  He seemed to be attracting a lot of attention from those living there; most people he passed gave him curious looks, probably because of his vault suit.  Now if only the onlookers would mind helping him find some free food.  At least he’d been able to find a water pump to drink from earlier.

            He really should have finished his sweetroll.

            His stomach growled again, even more insistent than the last time.  He’d never gone this long without food before, the cafeteria in Vault 25 was open for most of his waking hours, and if he needed a late-night snack there were always vending machines.  Hinata wasn’t used to this kind of gnawing hunger. “Uuuuugh…”  He approached another building, this one seemed to still have access to electricity.  It was fairly low to the ground and made of concrete.  A bright light was shining through a mostly intact window, and the whole place gave off a welcoming feel.  Interest piqued, Hinata made his way towards the open door and looked inside.

            There were shelves upon shelves of books inside, probably more books than the entirety of Vault 25 contained.  Most of them looked ancient, though they seemed to be holding together.  A single floor lamp stood in the corner by the window, casting a soft light around the rest of the main room.  “Woah…”

            “Oh, can I help you?”

            Hinata jumped as an unfamiliar voice spoke.  He looked to find its owner, face slightly flushed at being caught in a place he probably didn’t belong.  A young man had appeared from behind one of the tall shelves.  His hair was silvery, and his brown eyes were warm and inviting. Hinata felt himself relax just a little bit.  The man cradled a small stack of books against his right hip.  Realizing that he was expected to answer, Hinata spoke up.  “U-um, I was just looking around.”

            The young man studied Hinata for a moment before his eyes landed on his blue vault suit.  “Oh!  Are you from that vault up on the mountain?  I didn’t think any of you ever came outside by yourselves.”  He set his pile of books down on a low table and walked over to stand in front of Hinata, a curious look on his face.

            “Oh, yeah!  I’m from Vault 25.  I uh… got tired of being trapped in there all the time so I escaped.”

            “Wow, you got out and left all by yourself?  That’s pretty brave,” the silver-haired man said with a smile.

            Hinata puffed out his chest a bit.  “I know!  It was really hard, but I was determined to see the world.”

            “Determination is a good thing to have out here.  Ah, I’m Sugawara by the way, you can call me Suga.”  Suga held his hand out for Hinata to shake, and the vault dweller took it without reluctance.

            “I’m Hinata!  It’s nice to meet you, Suga!”  Just as Hinata’s arm fell back to his side, his stomach decided to pipe up again, further complaining about the lack of food it had been given that day.

            “Oh no, are you hungry?” Suga asked, genuine concern in his voice. 

            Hinata nodded, embarrassed once again.  “I haven’t really had anything to eat today, actually…”

            “Well that’s not good,” Suga said, crossing his arms over his chest.  “It’s important to keep your strength up when you live in the wasteland.  Though I guess you probably don’t have any caps just yet.”

            Hinata shook his head.

            “Then it can’t be helped, I’ll get you something to eat.”  Suga nodded decisively to himself and walked into an adjoined room, leaving Hinata alone with books as his only company.  The younger boy desperately wanted to protest, to tell Suga that he was being much too kind to someone he had only just met, but his stomach hushed up any arguments before they could leave his mouth.  Several minutes later and Suga returned with a bowl full of soup. 

            “Here, eat up!”  He handed the bowl to Hinata, who had no choice but to accept at this point.  Hinata took the food gratefully and began to blow on the hot meal to cool it off.  He started to eat, and Suga began to speak again.  “You probably need a place to stay for the time being, too.  I have a spare room, if you’d like to borrow it.”

            With some food in his stomach, Hinata now found it within himself to protest.  “I can’t, you’re already giving me something to eat, I can find someplace else-“

            Suga held up a hand to shush him.  “Maybe you could, but probably not.  Besides, it’s not in my nature to turn away people who need help.”  Another smile graced his features, and Hinata was fairly certain that he’s stumbled upon a literal angel on Earth.  “If you want to make it up to me then… Well, I could use a hand around here.  Running a library by myself isn’t always easy.”

            “This is a library?” Hinata asked, taking another look around.

            “Mhmm.  Surprisingly, I found this place mostly intact.  I guess the people around here had at least a little respect for books, because they hadn’t all been used as fuel.  There were a couple of feral ghouls that needed to be cleared out, but after everything was said and done, I was able to turn this back into a fully-functioning library.”  Suga grinned, and Hinata could tell he was proud of his work. 

            “I didn’t know there were still libraries around.”

            “There aren’t very many, at least not that I know of,” Suga sighed.  “But people here seem to be grateful that they have access to books, so I’m glad that I decided to fix this place up.”

            “It’s really neat,” Hinata said as he put his bowl down next to the forgotten stack of books from earlier.  “I’ve never seen this many books in one place before.”  Suga seemed pleased to hear this, and he reached out and gave Hinata’s hair a quick ruffle. 

            “Alright, now that you’re done eating, I guess I’ll show you where you’ll be staying, hmm?”

            ***

            It hadn’t taken Kageyama very long to locate the detective agency that Oikawa had described.  He had been right, there were hand-made posters pinned up all around the area.  Each one depicted a poorly drawn cat and owl, they truly were impossible to miss.  Now he stood in front of the building, mind working furiously. 

            They were clearly closed for the night; no light was shining through the windows.  He didn’t know if the detectives and their synth friend lived there or not, either possibility seemed fairly likely.  If they were inside and sleeping, this would be the most opportune time to strike.  Kageyama looked around, and found a window that was missing all its glass.  A sheet was covering the opening in its place.  An easy and quiet entrance.  The mercenary moved quietly towards it, drawing his gun as he did so.

            ***

            Bokuto and Kuroo were arguing over something stupid again, but Kenma was used to the shouting, and it was mere background noise at this point.  Though he had heard a couple of words close to the beginning of the spat this time.  Seemed like Kuroo wanted to be the one who drew on the posters this time.

            Most of Kenma’s attention was focused on his Pipboy and its old screen.  He’d been playing _The Red Menace_ for the better part of an hour, but he had to admit that he was losing interest in the game.  He really needed to find some new holo-tapes.  Just as he was about to eject the tape and call it a night, his senses kicked into overdrive.  He froze in place and listened carefully.

            Something was lurking outside.  Something dangerous.


	6. An Attempt Was Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not updating yesterday! I realized that my brain needed a little break. I'll probably updating about once a day from here on out, but I definitely want to try and get as far as I can before I go back to school next week. College causes all sorts of problems when trying to write a fic... Hope you all enjoy, and thank you for the support and comments so far!

“Someone’s outside,” Kenma said, standing up from where he’d been sitting on the couch.  Bokuto and Kuroo had been surprised into silence at Kenma’s little outburst, and both looked at him in confusion.

            “Someone’s outside?” Kuroo repeated.  Kenma nodded in response.

            “Dude, I know you have like, super senses, but how the heck do you know that?” Bokuto asked.  “And uh, do they happen to have a job for us?”

            “I think they’re dangerous,” Kenma said, ignoring Bokuto’s first question.  “Quick, turn out the lights.”

            Bokuto and Kuroo wordlessly did as they were told.  Kenma had never been this serious around them before, and that in and of itself was enough for them to feel on edge.  It took them only a few seconds to turn off their single lamp and to blow out the candles that lit the room.  Then they sat and listened carefully.  Neither heard anything that would tip them off to the presence of an outsider.

            “…Kenma, are you sure there’s someone out there?” Bokuto asked in what passed as a whisper. 

            “ _Shh_ ,” Kenma snapped.  He was still standing, and he turned his head this way and that, trying to figure out exactly where the threat was coming from.  Finally, he pinpointed the stranger’s movement.  It only took him a split second to deduce that they were going to try and come through the window Bokuto had broken a couple weeks back.  Kenma silently motioned for his friends to follow him, then crept over towards the window in question.  Continued hand gestures finally got Bokuto and Kuroo ready and waiting on either side of the window, bodies tense and ready for anything.  Kenma stood next to Kuroo, hands shaking, just slightly.

            There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he’d been discovered by someone.  Synths weren’t very common in the West, but there were still people who knew about them.  He’d thought that he’d be safe, so long as he stayed as far away from the East Coast as he could.  Kenma supposed he’d been foolish to think that.  Now he’d dragged his friends into danger, and they weren’t even aware of his true nature.  He shook his head to clear it.  Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about regrets and “what-ifs.”  He needed to be ready to fight whatever was trying to sneak in here.

            Kenma had barely managed to pull himself together in time to see someone pulling the sheet covering the window aside.  Beside him, Kuroo tensed up, and Kenma could just make out an angry expression on his face.  Across from them, Bokuto looked about ready to pummel whoever was trying to break in.  His fists were clenching and unclenching, probably without the young man realizing it.  Kenma could only hope that his friends were smart enough to wait to strike until they would most certainly have the upper hand.

            After they had pulled the sheet away, they lowered their gun into the room.  Then they themselves started to pull themselves through.  The only reason they hadn’t realized they were about to be ambushed was because Kenma had had the foresight to have Bokuto and Kuroo stand as far back as was safe.  Although, it seemed as if this intruder wasn’t paying quite as much attention as he should have been.  They were halfway through the window when Bokuto had had enough waiting, and he sprung.

            ***

            Hinata awoke to the sound of a gunshot.

            He’d never heard the sound in real life before, not until Kageyama had saved him earlier that day.  It had been a welcome sound then, but at this time of night, in a place that was supposed to be safe, it sent chills down his spine.  It sounded close by, too.  Several moments later had a light switching on in the adjacent room, and Suga poked his head in to check on his guest.  “Did you hear that?” he asked.

            Hinata nodded, worry plastered on his features.  “Is it normal for guns to go off around here?”

            Suga shook his head.  “Not usually, no.  Especially when it’s this close to us.  We’re in the safest part of the settlement…”  The young man bit his lip.  “…I think I want to go check on the neighbors, just to make sure everything is okay.”

            “Can I come with you?” Hinata asked.  “If something’s wrong, I might be able to help.”

            Suga hesitated, debating whether it would be safer for Hinata to stay behind, but ultimately decided that it would be best to stick together.  “Alright, let’s go then.”

            Hinata hopped out of bed (he jumped higher than he was used to, strange), and followed Suga out of the building.  Down the street a short distance was another building, this one built of brick and two stories high.  All along the outside were hand-made posters featuring a drawing of an owl and cat wearing detective hats.  As the two approached sounds started drifting towards them from an open window.  It sounded like a fight was going on. 

            Suga hurried forward toward the main door and flung it open, relieved that it hadn’t been locked for the night yet.  The lights were all out in the building, but he was able to locate the lamp standing in one corner and switched it on.  Now the situation was a little more visible.  On the right side of the room a fight was taking place, but it seemed relatively one-sided.  Bokuto and Kuroo had an intruder pinned to the ground, but he was putting up quite the fight.  Kenma stood back, clutching his arm, a pained expression on his face.

            “Who the hell are you?!” Kuroo demanded, still holding the assailant in place. 

            “Yeah, and what were you trying to do!?” Bokuto chimed in.

            “I was doing my _job_ ,” the intruder spat, writhing around.  Strong as he was, he wasn’t quite a match for the two men holding him down.

            Hinata poked his head out from where he’d been hiding behind Suga and took in the situation.  He had _recognized_ that voice…  His eyes finally adjusted to the low light of the room, and he saw who was being pinned to the floor.

            “Kageyama???”

            Kageyama stopped moving, dread seeping into every part of his body.  He looked up, and when he made eye-contact with Hinata, he knew he was going to have to actually explain himself.


	7. Attempted Murder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness, I'm sorry it took so long to get this updated! Life got way busier than I was expecting it to be, and now I'm back in school :') Needless to say, updates won't be nearly as frequent as they had been in the beginning, but I have no plans to simply leave this story to rot! I really love it, and I'll be seeing it through to the end. I just ask that you all have a little patience with me! <3
> 
> Another little thank you to everyone who's commented or left a kudos so far! Any sort of feedback from you guys helps motivate me to keep writing. :) Enjoy!

“Hinata, you know this guy?” Suga asked, eyes flicking back and forth between the two. 

            “Yeah, he saved my life after I escaped my vault,” Hinata said.  “He’s pretty grumpy, but I guess he’s not so bad.  What’s he doing here?”

            “This bastard tried to kill Kenma!” Kuroo spat, giving Kageyama a smack on the head for good measure.  The mercenary flinched, but remained unapologetic.

            “I’m just doing my job!” Kageyama insisted again. 

            “Well newsflash, your job involves _murder_ ,” Bokuto retorted.  “Most people don’t like that kinda thing.”

            “It’s hardly murder if I’m destroying a robot!”

            “A robot?” Hinata asked, eyes flicking towards Kenma, who was still standing to the side, clutching his injured arm.  He looked just like a normal human, as far as the former vault dweller could gather.  Though upon closer inspection, it didn’t look like there was any blood coming from his wound.  “He doesn’t look like a robot!  And I’ve seen a lot of those back in the vault.  There was this one Mister Handy-“

            “No one asked!” Kageyama said, almost on instinct. 

            “Synths are robots that look and act exactly like humans, Hinata,” Suga explained.  He was looking at Kenma curiously, though not threateningly.  “A lot of people are scared of them.  There’s a lot of rumors that they’re dangerous, or that they’re steadily replacing all of the real people in the wasteland.”

            “Replacing?”

            “We’re getting off topic!” Kuroo interrupted.  “The point is that this guy tried to kill Kenma, and we can’t just let him go.  Kenma’s never done anything wrong!  Who cares if he’s a synth or not?”

            “Yeah!” Bokuto chimed in.  “All he ever really does is play games on that Pip-Boy he found.  He’d never hurt a fly!”

            By this point, between all the yelling, smacking, and (angry) persuading, Kageyama was looking a little unsure of himself.  He typically only took on jobs that had him killing unsavory types.  He was never fond of having to take out someone who seemed like a good person.  Hell, even a decent person wasn’t someone likely to make Kageyama’s hit list.  Besides, he’d never really been biased towards synths.  He’d never seen any proof of them hurting someone, so what was the big deal?  He’d only agreed to the job because he hadn’t really imagined that a synth would act very much like a human being anyway.  But now…

            “Stupid Kageyama, you can’t go around killing innocent people!  What’s your problem?”  Hinata had his arms crossed over his chest.

            A retort was on the mercenary’s lips, but he’d already stated multiple times that he was just trying to make a living.  There wasn’t any point in saying the same thing over and over again, especially to an idiot like Hinata.  “Alright, I’m sorry, now would you let me up?”     

            “Psh, yeah, sure.  We’ll just let the crazy guy who broke into our place and shot our friend go, no big deal,” Kuroo said. 

            “I said I was sorry!”

            “You’re probably just saying that so we’ll let you go!” Bokuto replied.

            “Let him up,” Kenma said just loud enough for everyone to hear.  All eyes turned towards him, most holding some sort of confusion.  “He can’t do anything else now, we took his gun, after all,” the synth continued.  “As long as he doesn’t try to hurt me again, it’s fine.”

            “…I think you’re absolutely crazy, but fine.”  Kuroo reluctantly released his hold on Kageyama, and Bokuto followed suit after a moment’s hesitation.  The mercenary stood, grumbling under his breath, voice too low for anyone to make sense of what he was saying. 

“Don’t think that just because we’re letting you go means that we’re friends or something,” Kuroo said.  “If you try anything else you won’t be able to step foot inside this town again.”

“I second that,” Suga said in an agreeable tone.  “There’s no place in the Springs for someone who wants to kill a person who’s done nothing wrong, synth or no synth.”

“Fine.”  Kageyama stood in the center of the room, rubbing his shoulder where Bokuto had had it pressed to the ground.  “I won’t try anything else.  But now I’m out of a job.”

“Oh boo hoo,” Bokuto snapped.  “Sorry that we won’t let you kill Kenma just to make a couple hundred caps.”

“Really, sorry it’s such an inconvenience to you,” Kuroo added.  “Now, if it’s not too much trouble, can we ask you to get the hell out of our house?”

Kageyama glared at the pair angrily, but made his way toward the door without further complaint.  Suga and Hinata watched him leave before nodding towards the other three and taking their leave as well.  

“Well… that was one of the more interesting things that’s happened here recently,” Suga said after they got outside. 

“I can’t believe Kageyama tried to kill someone!” Hinata said.  “I mean, he did kill some giant cat thing when we met this morning, but I didn’t think he’d try to hurt a person!”

“Well, it’s not unusual for people to resort to killing in order to survive out here,” Suga replied.  “I can’t say I blame him too much, but I hope he doesn’t try and hurt anybody else while he’s here.”

“Yeah… that’d be bad.”

***

Daichi removed his helmet and held it underneath his left arm.  He’d been walking for what felt like ages, and he desperately needed a water break.  Unscrewing the cap to a water bottle was quite the task when wearing power armor, but he’d had enough practice during his life that he managed to make it look almost easy.  He chugged what was left in the container and tucked it back into his pack.  He was getting close to his destination, so he’d be able to refill the bottle there.

            The knight often visited the Springs settlement, mostly just to keep an eye on it for the Brotherhood.  Peterson AFB wasn’t terribly far away, but it was still sometimes hard to keep track of the going ons there, especially since they didn’t usually have any vertibirds to spare out here.  It took about a day to do a full walk there and back, but Daichi usually took two days, just to make sure he was thorough while he checked in on things.  Being lazy, even if it was just a recon mission, wouldn’t get him promotions.

            And, if he was being honest to himself, he liked to visit the librarian there.  He was always so friendly, even though most people weren’t fond of the Brotherhood.  Daichi allowed his thoughts to drift for a couple more moments before he slipped his helmet back on and continued on.  He’d have plenty of time to daydream while he walked.


	8. A Change of Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I was able to write another chapter in my limited free time! That being said, I have a couple hundred pages worth of reading for my classes next week that I have to take care of along with a couple essays, so it might be a few days until I'm able to update again. Hopefully it won't take me more than a week, but college is suffering.
> 
> As always, a thank you to everyone leaving comments and kudos, and a little special shoutout to Aralliya for being so supportive! ^^ Oh, and if any of you are interested, you can find me on tumblr! The url to my blog is on my profile. Hope you enjoy!

           Right around noon, Daichi walked into a small diner on the edge of the Springs settlement.  It was a pretty popular place as it was easily accessible, even by those who didn’t live in the town.  The building was low to the ground, as most in town were, but its metal exterior was shiny and clean compared to many of the other structures.  Kiyoko’s Place, as it was called, was well taken care of. 

            There wasn’t a whole lot of room for the knight inside the small diner, especially considering his clunky power armor, but he was able to find a seat at the bar regardless.  One of the perks of being in the Brotherhood was that people tended to respect you; whether out of love or fear was beside the point.  What mattered is that people ensured that Daichi was cared for no matter where he went.

            A couple of patrons looked at him nervously, or with poorly-concealed anger, but nothing came of any of it.  Within just a few minutes he had been served a meal, and his mind had gone back to thinking about what he needed to take care of during his visit.  There was the usual inspections, just a quick walk around the town to check in and make sure that nothing terribly illegal or dangerous was going on.  And if there was, all he had to do was make a note of it and bring it up to his superiors back at the base.  After that he needed to talk to some local traders and discuss shipment arrangements for the next few months.  Feeding an entire army was a lot of work, after all.  Finally, he’d have just a little time to himself, so he’d probably be able to go and visit the library-

            “Hey, Earth to solider boy!”

            Daichi was startled out of his thoughts by a voice in his ear and a tapping on his shoulder.  To his right, another customer had apparently been trying to get his attention for some time now, and had grown brave enough to actually get right up in his face.  Then again, perhaps it wasn’t bravery so much as drugs.  The chemical smell wafting off the red-haired man was strong enough to make Daichi feel a touch light-headed. 

            “Erm, can I help you?” he finally asked, leaning away ever so slightly.

            “Yeah yeah, you can, actually.”  The young man moved out of Daichi’s personal bubble and clasped his hands behind his head.  “I was just wonderin’ about some stuff.  And you’re just the guy who could gimme answers."

            “Well as long as you’re not asking about anything classified, I’ll try to be of help.”

            “Good!  Okay so…” the customer looked off into the distance, eyes slightly unfocused, before continuing, “I heard that you Brotherhood guys are planning some sort of big raid thing soon.  Is that true?”

            “That’s something I’m not allowed to tell you,” Daichi replied. 

            “Aw c’mon man, I just wanna know if I need to get the hell outta here before then.”

            “Sorry, but I can’t tell you anything else on the subject.”

            “Dude-“

            “Tendou, please don’t harass the other customers.” 

            Daichi looked up and saw one of the cooks waving a spatula threateningly at the red-haired man.  He wasn’t much taller than the bar.

            “But Yaku, this is super important stuff!”

            “No buts, Kiyoko doesn’t want any trouble in here.  If you don’t stop bothering that guy, you’re gonna have to leave.”

            “Fiiiiine…” Tendou said sulkily as he turned away from Daichi.

            Yaku turned to the solider.  “Sorry about that, sir.  That idiot can’t keep to himself most of the time.”

            “It’s alright, no harm done,” Daichi said with a small smile. 

            “Oh good.  If you need anything else, you let me know okay?”

            Daichi paused for a second.  “Actually, do you happen to know how long the library is open today?”

            ***

            Kageyama slumped in his seat, a sigh escaping his lips.  He was lucky that he hadn’t been paid upfront, otherwise he’d have to immediately go back to his employer to return the money.  At least he could just avoid the man now and save himself some embarrassment, and a potential reputation as a synth-sympathizer.  Still, now he’d have to find some other work, otherwise he’d start going hungry within a week’s time.

            “What’s this?  Has the mighty mercenary Tobio failed in his work?”

            Kageyama groaned as the familiar voice sounded above his head.  He looked up and was met with the grinning face of Oikawa.  “What do you want?”

            “Can’t I just say hello to one of my best customers?”  Oikawa rounded the table and took a seat across from Kageyama.  Iwaizumi followed behind him, and a snort escaped his mouth.

            “Yeah, as if you’d ever do something as innocent as saying hello to someone just because.”

            Kageyama felt his mouth tug upwards just a tad at the remark.

            “You’re so rude, Hajime!  I have pure intentions at _least_ 75% of the time.”

            “That’s a flat out lie, and you know it.”

            “I doubt you’re here just to say hello,” Kageyama interjected before Oikawa could continue complaining at his bodyguard and longtime companion.  “Not to me, at least.”

            “Mmm, well, fine, you caught me.”  Oikawa leaned back so that the front two legs of his chair were off the ground.  “I just thought you might be looking for another way to make some caps, now that you can’t go and kill our local synth.”

            “How do you know about that?” Kageyama demanded.

            “Oh Tobio, I know everything that happens here!  I’m surprised you haven’t realized that by now.”

            Kageyama only scowled in response.

            “Anyway… I just thought I’d help you out a bit.  You see, there’s apparently this town up near Wyoming that wasn’t affected by the war hardly at all.  And I’d just love to know about it.” 

            The mercenary wasn’t sure he liked the smile on Oikawa’s face, but he was sort of desperate to make some money.  “Do you want me to go find it, then?”

            “Exactly!  You’re so smart, Tobio.”  Oikawa leaned forward again, steadying the chair in the process.  “Of course, if you happen to pick up any interesting information along the way, I’d be happy to pay you for that too when you come back.”

            Kageyama thought the offer over for a moment, though it was mostly for show.  He couldn’t really afford to turn the job down, especially not when it seemed like fairly simple work.  Oikawa would probably pay him a fair amount too.  “Alright, fine.”

            “Thank you, Tobio!  I have faith that you’ll not only survive the long trip, but that you’ll bring me back some interesting tidbits as well.”

            “Who the hell says ‘tidbits’ anymore?” Iwaizumi muttered.

            “Don’t start with me, Hajime!”

            Kageyama shook his head and got up, not bothering to say goodbye before he headed back outside.


	9. Wyoming Bound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooooly crap guys, I honestly did not intend to keep you all waiting this long! I hope you can forgive me! College kinda kicked my butt (though I got all A's, so yay!) and I was busy writing essays analyzing stuff like robot characters and author style so I had like... no motivation to do any creative writing. I've been on summer break for about three weeks now, and I'm all refreshed and ready to pump out the rest of this fic by the time the next semester starts! As usual, hope you enjoy~
> 
> (I've also started a dystopian BNHA fic if any of you are interested in that kind of stuff!)

            “Hello, anybody in here?”

            Hinata looked up from the book he had been reading to look at the library entrance.  In the doorway stood a tall man wearing clunky metal armor.  The sight effectively terrified Hinata, who let out a small shriek before dashing into the adjoining room to find Suga.  The librarian, who had been sorting through a stack of old books to see which ones were fit for lending out, started as Hinata burst into the room. 

            “Suga, there’s a scary person here!”

            “A scary person?” Suga asked, head tilting to the side.  “Scary how?”

            Hinata took a deep breath, ready to launch into what he had seen, when a voice drifted in from the main entrance.  “Um… I hope I’m not bothering anybody?  Hello…”

            Upon hearing this voice Suga’s eyes lit up.  “Be right there!” he called back.  Suga quickly tidied up the table he’d been using, completely oblivious to Hinata’s visible confusion.  After he was finished stacking the books and papers scattered around, he turned to Hinata and asked “how do I look?”

            “Um… Fine, I guess?” Hinata replied, completely baffled.  “But why?”

            “Oh um, no reason.”  Suga grinned, cheeks tinted the slightest shade of pink.  “In any case, you don’t have anything to worry about.”

            “Do you know the scary guy, then?”

            “Yup!  He comes to visit every time he’s in town,” Suga explained as he headed back towards the library entrance.  “No need to be afraid!”  Hinata followed a few steps behind the librarian, still slightly wary.  Suga caught sight of their visitor immediately upon entering the main room, and his smile grew.  “Daichi!  It’s good to see you!”

            Daichi, still standing awkwardly near the front of the room, smiled brightly upon seeing Suga.  “Sugawara!  It’s good to see you too.”

            “I told you last time, didn’t I?  Just ‘Suga’ is fine,” Suga said as he stopped right in front of the taller man.  His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was practically beaming.

            “Ah right, you did tell me that,” Daichi replied sheepishly.  His gaze then flicked to Hinata, who flinched slightly.  “Who’s this?”

            “Oh!  This is Hinata, he came to town just the other day, actually,” Suga explained.  He ushered Hinata forward.  “He lived in a vault!”

            “A vault, huh?” Daichi asked, interest clear in his voice.  “I thought the vault in Cheyenne Mountain didn’t let people out for more than a few days?”

            “Yeah, that’s true,” Hinata said, nervousness beginning to slip away.  “But I escaped on my own.”

            “Wow, impressive,” Daichi grinned. 

            “Hinata, why don’t you go out and explore the settlement some more?” Suga suddenly said.  “I know you’d mentioned wanting to look around still.”

            “Oh uh, sure!  If you don’t need me here, I’d love to go explore.”  Hinata knew that there was probably something more going on, but he decided he probably didn’t need to say anything.  “I’ll see you later then!  Nice to meet you, Daichi.”  Hinata waved and ran out the door.

            “…now, how about you tell me what you’ve been up to, Daichi?”

            ***

Kageyama shaded his eyes as he emerged into the bright sunlight.  Dealing with Oikawa always irritated him to some degree, and accepting a job offer from the older man was about as much as his self-esteem could currently take.  He was clearly desperate, but work was work.  His eyes finally adjusted to the light and he made his way towards the outskirts of the settlement.  Traveling merchants usually set up near the town entrance, and he was going to need plenty of supplies if he was going to make the trek to Wyoming.  Sure enough, a small crowd of people stood just outside the giant metal wall that enclosed the Springs settlement.  Kageyama made his way over, mentally calculating how many caps he could afford to spend on supplies.  He heard chatter as he approached.

“Hey, Akaashi!  It’s been awhile since you were last here, huh?”

“Yes, Bokuto.  Several months, in fact.”

“Well that’s definitely too long!  You should come trade more often!”

“Maybe if you actually spent money when you came to see me, I would.”

Kageyama winced inwardly as he recognized one of the men who had stopped him from killing Kenma.  Unfortunately, he’d have to walk right past him if he wanted to get to any of the traders milling about the area.  But he was clearly focused on the young man in front of him, so maybe it was possible to sneak past without attracting attention.  Kageyama took a couple of quiet steps forward, skirting around the trader and his very loud acquaintance, but was spotted almost immediately.

“Hey!  You’re the one that tried to kill Kenma!”

Kageyama grimaced and kept walking forward.

“Someone tried to kill Kenma?” the trader asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Yeah, that guy!  Hey, I’m talking to you!”

Kageyama picked up the pace, but a moment later he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he was roughly spun around.  He grit his teeth as he met the golden eyes that were now in front of him. 

“How come you’re still in town, huh?” Bokuto demanded.  “Don’t you have some place to slink back to?”

“Not really,” Kageyama replied.  “Though I’ll be leaving shortly.”

“Well good riddance.”  Bokuto released his hold on the mercenary and scowled.  The trader he had been talking to stood several feet back, watching curiously.

“Wait, where are you going?”

Kageyama’s gaze found Hinata, who was trotting up from behind Bokuto.  The mercenary rolled his eyes, but replied “Wyoming.  Why?”

“Woah, isn’t that a whole other state?”  Hinata stopped right next to Bokuto, eyes wide with curiosity.  “Why are you going someplace so far away?”

“A client asked me to get information about a town there,” Kageyama answered shortly.  “After I was stopped last night, I need to get money somehow.”  His eyes slid to Bokuto.

“Gee, sorry we didn’t want you killing our friend,” Bokuto snapped.

“Hey hey, anyway, do you think I could come with you?” Hinata asked as he shoved himself between the two.  “I left the vault to explore, after all.”

Kageyama gave the shorter boy an incredulous look.  “Why the hell would I want you to tag along?”

“So you’re not all alone!”

“I like being alone,” Kageyama retorted.  “Besides, you’re inexperienced.  You’d be more of a burden than anything else.”

“Ok, but what if I pay you to take me?”

This piqued Kageyama’s interest, but he tried not to let it show.  “How could you possibly have earned any caps when you’ve only been here for 24 hours?”

“Suga gave me some!  He said to use them for clothes and food and stuff, but you can have them if you let me go with you!”  Hinata’s eyes were wide and bright, and paired with the smile steadily growing on his face, Kageyama felt almost as if he was looking at the sun itself.

The mercenary thought it over.  It was doubtful Hinata actually had much money, but caps were caps, after all.  Plus it _would_ be nice to have some companionship, just for a little while.  Besides, he could always ditch Hinata at some town along the way if he got to be too annoying.  “…alright, fine.  Grab whatever supplies you can then meet me here in an hour.”

“YES!” Hinata crowed, fist shooting into the air.  “Alright, I’ll go tell Suga I’m leaving!”  The young man sprinted back into town, moving faster than Kageyama had ever seen anybody run.

He hoped he hadn’t made a big mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also totally just remembered that I'm gonna get to take a slightly closer peek at Cheyenne Mountain in October! My family is doing this zombie run, and this year it's gonna be in some of the tunnels inside the mountain! Pretty neat, though I doubt I'll find a vault in there haha.


	10. Jumping to Conclusions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by an 8-Bit version of Mr. Blue Sky, which is always so upbeat and happy that it can't help but remind me of Hinata a little bit (though trying to stop associating the song with Portal 2 and a very popular fanfic of a similar name is incredibly difficult).
> 
> Sorry this took a little bit, my brain's been trying to get me to work on original stuff recently. As usual, hope you all enjoy!

            Half an hour later had Hinata and Kageyama leaving the Springs settlement, a grin plastering the former’s face while the latter looked as if he knew he were making a big mistake.  As soon as Hinata had returned with his things he’d handed over the meager pile of caps he had to Kageyama, who had, to his credit, _tried_ not to look too disappointed.  The mercenary had been tempted to tell Hinata that the deal was off, but the other boy had looked so excited he couldn’t quite find it in his heart to tell him no.  So off they went, Hinata humming a tune as they walked.  There was very little conversation between the two for a while.  Kageyama was a man of few words, and Hinata was too busy taking in the sights to do much more than make excited noises.  The silence was a comfortable one though, and both felt relatively at ease.

            Eventually though, Kageyama started to notice something odd.

            Hinata moved awfully quickly, which was especially unusual for someone who had lived their entire life in a vault.  Not that vault dwellers couldn’t be in shape, but all of the ones that Kageyama had ever come across lacked the reflexes and strength that so many who lived in the wasteland possessed.  Hinata, on the other hand, moved like lightning.  He zipped around, taking in everything in the surrounding area and causing Kageyama to consistently pick up his pace.  An hour later and the mercenary was practically running and absolutely bewildered.  Hinata was a little way off in the distance, inspecting a hoofprint on the ground.

            “Woah, Kageyama, what kind of animal made this?  Was it a horse?  Some of the books in the vault talked about horses!”

            Kageyama jogged over to where his companion was kneeling, pointing to the imprint in the dirt.  The mercenary was able to tell with a quick glance that no, the hoofprint was not from a horse.  “A Radmoose made that.”  He grimaced.

            “Radmoose?”

            “It’s like a horse but bigger and meaner,” Kageyama replied.  “Not fun if you run into one.”

            Hinata suddenly looked worried and carefully backed away from the hoofprint.  “Do you think the radmoose is still nearby?”

            “Maybe, but hopefully not.”  Kageyama started forward again.  “The more distance we put between it and us, the better.”

            Within moments Hinata was ahead of his companion again, little exclamations leaving his mouth as he looked around the forest that surrounded them.  By now, Kageyama was starting to get irritated.  How was Hinata moving so quickly?  He opened his mouth to say something, but just then a twig snapped close by, and Hinata leaped almost four feet straight up into the air.

            No, that _definitely_ wasn’t normal.

            The two waited for several long moments, but nothing came out of the woods, and Kageyama couldn’t see anything nearby, so he deemed that they were safe for the time being.  Which meant that he could ask what the hell was up with Hinata.

            “…how the hell can you jump so high?”

            Hinata looked confused.  “What do you mean?”

            “You just jumped four feet straight into the air, idiot.”

            “I did?”

            A look of near physical pain crossed Kageyama’s face.  “Yes, you did.”

            “Weird, I’ve never jumped that high before.”  Hinata looked at his feet.  “Should I jump and see if I can do it again?”

            “Yeah.”

            Hinata crouched down low to the ground, face scrunched up in concentration.  Then he took a deep breath and launched himself upwards as high as he could.  Kageyama’s jaw dropped. 

            This time Hinata hadn’t jumped up four feet.  No, this time it was probably closer to six feet.

            “Woah!” Hinata called out as he tumbled back to the ground.  “Oh my god, how did I do that?  It wasn’t even that hard!”

            “You’ve never jumped that high before?”

            “No!”

            “Do you have any idea why you can jump like that now?”

            Hinata shook his head.  “Nope, but it’s super cool, isn’t it?  Maybe it’s harder to jump when you’re underground or something?”

            Kageyama knew very little about how physics and the laws of gravity worked, so he couldn’t be sure.  “Maybe?”

            A brief silence overtook the two as they each pondered different possibilities, but neither of them was able to come up with a good explanation.  Eventually they gave up.  “Should we keep going?” Hinata asked, breaking the quiet.

            “Yeah, we need to hurry if we want to reach Boulder by nightfall.”  Kageyama took the lead as they started off again, though within a few minutes Hinata was ahead of him again.  The mercenary supposed he was going to have to get used to walking a little faster than he was used to.

            ***

            “It was good to see you again, Daichi,” Suga said softly. 

            Daichi smiled, his cheeks flushing slightly.  “It was good to see you too.  Maybe next time I’m in town we can go out somewhere?”

            “Sure, I’d like that.”

            Daichi turned towards the door, power armor clanking loudly the whole way, effectively ruining the mood.  Suga laughed quietly, and the soldier grinned sheepishly.  On his way out the door Daichi paused, lips pressing together as he mulled over several thoughts. 

            Suga noticed the sudden change in attitude.  “What’s wrong?”

            Daichi took a breath and released it slowly.  “Hey, Koushi.  Something big is going to be happening soon, and I don’t know if it’ll be safe for you to be in town.  Just… be careful, ok?”  Daichi glanced back quickly before hurrying out the door, embarrassed and slightly angry with himself.  He wasn’t supposed to tell anybody about what the Brotherhood was up to, wasn’t allowed to even make hints.  And yet… he couldn’t stop himself.  He’d come to care very much for Suga within the past year, and if anything happened to the librarian he would never be able to forgive himself.

            Suga, meanwhile, was left to mull over the little bit of information he’d hurriedly been given.  There wasn’t much to go off of, but it wasn’t the first time he’d heard people hinting at the Brotherhood of Steel gearing up for something.  But more so than that he was flustered.  Daichi had never called him by his first name before.

            So despite the ominous warning, Suga went to bed very happy that night.

            And a certain dark-haired detective went off to go tell his friends what he had overheard.


	11. Boulder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is RIDICULOUSLY hot here. At least it is for me. I'm much more used to snow and cold weather than 90 degree weather but alas, Colorado likes to give us both extremes.
> 
> Also how about that Haikyuu dub? I'm glad Funimation isn't the one that has the license, it gives me hope that maybe the voice acting won't be too bad. Either way, I'm glad that I'll be able to buy seasons 2 and 3 at some point.
> 
> Also I swear Kagehina will be a thing at some point. Reading slow-burn stuff kills me, but it's also a lot of fun to slowly develop relationships sooooooo~
> 
> Thanks for the support from all of you! Enjoy ^^

            Hinata was absolutely not prepared for Boulder.

            It had taken the duo nearly two days to arrive at the town, which had led to much confusion on Hinata’s end, as Kageyama had said the journey should only take them about a day.  When questioned about this, Kageyama had only mumbled something about “forgetting how far away it was,” and that “it’s been awhile since I was last there.”  Hinata didn’t mind too much, though camping out in the wasteland for the first time absolutely terrified him.  But they had arrived safe and sound, managing to avoid most of the nasty creatures the surrounding woods and mountains were home to.  They had stopped briefly in the remains of Denver, but left quickly after taking note of how many raiders and feral ghouls roamed the area.  The last thing they needed was a run-in with a pack of radioactive zombies.

            Boulder wasn’t a very large settlement, but much of the original city remained in-tact.  The same could not be said for the Springs settlement, due to its proximity to what had once been a large military base.  And the fact that the town hadn’t been entirely decimated made the whole place feel very intimidating to Hinata.  The bright lights that had been placed everywhere didn’t help matters.  The whole area was lit up like a Christmas tree, and people flitted about despite the fact that it was getting to be rather late.  The smell of booze and drugs hung like a cloud over the town, and Hinata’s face scrunched up instinctively.  “Does it always smell this bad?” he muttered.

            “Yeah,” Kageyama replied.  “Get used to it.”

            “Ugh.”

            “Come on, we need a place to spend the night.”  Kageyama nodded towards a tall building a short way off and started toward it.  Hinata trotted after him, eyes wide as he took in everything.  The building they headed towards looked to be in decent shape, considering it had been through a nuclear apocalypse and a couple hundred years has passed.  It was made of brick, and only a couple of the windows had broken panes.  The wooden door they passed through looked like it had been replaced recently.  All in all, Hinata thought it seemed like a pretty welcoming place.  It was no vault, of course, but he’d certainly seen worse places during the short time he’d been in the outside world.

            His thoughts changed slightly once they entered the building, however.

            It wasn’t that the inside was gross, per-say, but it was certainly a picture of chaos.  The walls were covered with old posters and signs, along with other odds and ends such as the stuffed heads of various mutant creatures and the covers to old vinyl records.  There was a bar along the far side of the room, filled with shouting patrons.  A flight of stairs led to at least one upper level, probably more.  All the empty space on the first floor was taken up by tables and chairs, and a rundown jukebox sitting in the corner playing 50s music. 

            “This way.”  Kageyama glanced at Hinata before making his way towards the bar, winding his way easily through the crowd of people drinking and conversing.  Hinata followed him as best as he could, ducking under arms, and edging around clusters of drunk patrons.  Kageyama managed to find an empty spot at the bar and flagged down the young woman who was busy serving drinks. 

            “Be there in a few!” she called.

            Hinata made his way up and stood behind Kageyama, eyes flitting nervously from side to side.  The room was incredibly crowded, and everyone seemed rowdy.  Hinata was out of his comfort zone.  Part of him wished he had stayed with Suga.

            “Hmm, what’s this then?”

            Hinata whirled at the voice that was suddenly right next to his right ear, hair standing on end.  Two horribly disfigured men now stood in front of him, both of them smiling.  Their skin was creased and wrinkled all over, and neither of them had noses.  Patches of hair clung to their heads, one black, the other pink.  Their eyes were pure black.

            Hinata’s mouth opened, but all that came out was a small squeak. 

            “Oho, looks like he’s never seen a ghoul before, Mattsun,” said the one with the pink tufts of hair. 

            “Looks like it,” the other replied.

            “Fresh out of a vault then, probably?”

            “Probably.”

            “Um-“ Hinata stammered, “Did you ne-need something from me?”

            “Not really,” said the one with the pink hair.  “We were just curious.  It’s been awhile since we last saw a vault dweller.”

            “How did you know I was from a vault?”

            “Your vault suit,” replied the one with the black hair. 

            “Oh… right.”

            “What’s your name, vault dweller?”  The man with the pink hair tufts was looking awfully pleased, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

            “I’m Hinata… who are you two?”

            “I’m Makki, this is Mattsun,” he jerked his head towards the man with the black hair.    “And we’re ghouls, in case you were wondering.”

            “Ghouls?”

            “Humans who were exposed to a little too much radiation,” Mattsun explained.  “Now we get the joy of looking like zombies.”

            “But hey, we live a really long time too, so that’s pretty cool.” 

            “How long do you live for?” Hinata asked, fear steadily being replaced by curiosity.

            “Hundreds of years and counting,” Makki replied.  “We’ve been around since before the Great War.”

            “Woah, really?”

            “Mhmm.”

            “Hanamaki, Matsukawa, you’d better not be harassing my customers!”

            Hinata turned around again and saw the young woman behind the bar shouting at the ghouls he’d been talking to.  She had short blonde hair and dark eyes.

            “Ah geez, Saeko, we were just havin’ a friendly chat,” Makki replied, smile growing wider.  “No need to use our full names.”

            “You two are always causin’ trouble, I have to be suspicious,” Saeko retorted before turning to Kageyama.  “What can I get you?”

            “We need a room for the night,” Kageyama replied, unconsciously thumbing over the pouch of caps he had in his pocket.  “Two beds.”

            “Ah, sorry to say, but all I have is a room with a double bed.  Unless you want two separate rooms?”

            “How much for each room?”

            “200 caps a piece.”

            Kageyama swore under his breath.  If he paid for two rooms they wouldn’t have enough money to resupply before they crossed into Wyoming.  And everything past Fort Collins was uncharted territory for the mercenary, he couldn’t afford to venture into another state without plenty of supplies.  “Fine, just the one room then.”

            “200 caps then.”

            Kageyama handed the caps over to Saeko, who in turn gave him a key with a room number attached to it.  “Just let me know if you need anything else,” she said cheerfully.  The mercenary nodded then turned to Hinata, who was still engaged in conversation with the two ghouls. 

            “Come on, idiot, let’s get some rest.”

            “Oh, alright then!” Hinata replied, ignoring the insult.  “It was nice to meet you two!”

            “Likewise,” Makki said with a wave. 

            Kageyama dragged Hinata up the stairs, squinting in the dim light as he searched for their room number.  They finally found it on the third floor.  The room was sparsely decorated, with just a dresser and a bed.  A small bathroom was attached on the right side.

            “Uh, there’s only one bed, Kageyama,” Hinata pointed out.

            “I know, so you get to sleep on the floor.”

            “Why me?” Hinata demanded

            “Because I paid for the room with _my_ money, and you’re the one who’s tagging along,” Kageyama retorted. 

            “…alright, but there’s also totally enough room for both of us in the bed.”

            “Like hell am I sharing a bed with you, dumbass.”

            “What if I get cold?” Hinata whined.

            Kageyama shrugged and headed into the bathroom.  “Your problem, not mine.”

            “You are such an asshole.”  Hinata glared at the now closed bathroom door, but ultimately gave up and went to set up a little nest on the floor near the bed.  Even if he had to sleep in an uncomfortable place, being able to explore the world was better than being stuck in a cramped vault for the rest of his life.  He’d learn to deal with the hardships. 


End file.
